The United States is designating Diana Kajmakovic, a state prosecutor in the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) State Prosecutor's Office, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption related to the Western Balkans as well as for being responsible for, complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Western Balkans. Her abuse of her position as a state prosecutor to assist criminals, including drug traffickers, in avoiding justice is emblematic of the endemic corruption in BiH's public institutions and representative of a system in which people in power put their own personal and political gain before the needs of citizens.
The United States' Western Balkans sanctions program targets individuals and entities that undermine or threaten the postwar agreements and institutions established as part of the hard-won peace and Dayton Peace Agreement. BiH is facing its most serious political crisis since 1995, constrained by ethno-nationalist political parties that exploit patronage networks to retain power and wealth. Moreover, the country's justice system is increasingly captured by, and under the control of, political parties and their patronage networks.
The United States will continue to use all authorities at its disposal to promote accountability for those who engage in corrupt activities or undermine BiH's democratic processes and institutions.
